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thejusticelounge2012-11-04 01:14 pm
bossymarmalade) wrote in thejusticelounge2012-11-04 01:14 pm
Entry tags:
the gift
Guy Gardner landed not far from the gates of Wayne Manor, and ringed on suitable attire for the pool party. He wouldn’t be staying long, no need for swim trunks or a towel. All he needed was the gift tucked under his arm. As he walked up, he noticed Billy Batson pacing outside the gate. “Hey, Billy…what’re you doing out here?”
The boy looked up, and he looked nervous. “Hi Mr. Gardner. I’m…I don’t think I can go to this party. I better go home. Can you please not tell Stephanie I was here?”
Guy gave a little frown and held up a hand before the boy could leave, “Woah, woah, ease up there, partner…what’s the problem? Maybe I can help?”
Billy looked up, opening his mouth and closing it a few times as he was about to speak, then changed his mind, and then started again. Finally, he whispered, “I don’t have a present for her.”
The redhead smiled, “Oh, is that all? Hey, Billy, it’s really no big deal. I know Stephanie, and she’ll be plenty happy to see you, she doesn’t care about things. Trust me, she won’t mind one little bit!”
“It’s…different for me, though…” the child confessed haltingly.
“Oh?” Guy slowly dropped to one knee, so he could talk to Billy and not down at him. “How come, buddy?”
Billy looked back through the gate, then left and right up and down the street, before he dared answer. “If I tell you something, you promise not to tell?”
“As long as it isn’t a secret that might hurt someone, then yeah, you can tell me anythin’ Billy,” Guy assured him, his concern growing a little.
“I really like her,” he whispered.
“Ohhh…” he managed to not crack the hint of a smile. This was serious to Billy, and should be treated likewise. “You mean, as in, like like her?”
Billy nodded, wide-eyed.
“Well, yeah, I can see why that would make a difference…” He glanced down at the parcel under his arm. “As it happens, I think we can help each other out, Billy. See, I already got Steph a present from Europe, a snowglobe, and she told me it should count as her birthday present too. But y’know, I couldn’t resist gettin’ her somethin’ else. Now, I’m afraid she’ll get mad because I got her two things, y’see?”
The boy wasn’t sure he did see.
Guy continued, “You could give her this second present from me, and say it’s from you. Then I won’t get in trouble for givin’ her two gifts, and you’ll feel better because she’ll get a nice gift from you. Whaddya say, help a fellow Leaguer out, buddy? Please?”
The child thought about it. Guy could see him briefly wrestle with the moral implications of taking credit for something he didn’t buy. The Green Lantern smiled to himself; this kid was like a mini-Superman, a boy scout through and through. It was undeniably cuter on a ten-year-old, but still charming on Blue. It was time for the last-ditch hard-sell, “You’d be doin’ me a favour. I can’t return the present, anyway, I ordered it online, it’d be a hassle. I can’t even stay for the party, so, might as well, right?”
“What present did you get her?” Billy asked at last, and Guy whispered the answer to him. The boy’s eyes lit up, “Holy moley, that’s a perfect present for Stephanie!”
“So you’ll do this for me?” Guy asked, nodding with a smile.
“Yes Sir!” Billy agreed, almost jumping from his enthusiasm, “And thank you!”
“Well, thank you Billy,” Guy gave the boy a manly handshake and rose to his feet, then removed the tag on the present that said it was from him and handed it over. “Careful not to drop it now, don’t want to dent it,” he grinned.
He leaned over and pushed the call button on the gatepost. “Hi Alfred,” he replied when the butler asked who was calling, “Guy Gardner and Billy Batson, for Steph’s party.” The gate swung open, and Billy waved as he couldn’t contain himself and ran on ahead, the aubergine-wrapped gift with the green bow tucked tightly into his chest in his little arms.
Guy smiled quietly to himself as he shoved his hands in his pockets and strolled up the driveway at a leisurely pace, feeling good about life for awhile, appreciating the gift.
The boy looked up, and he looked nervous. “Hi Mr. Gardner. I’m…I don’t think I can go to this party. I better go home. Can you please not tell Stephanie I was here?”
Guy gave a little frown and held up a hand before the boy could leave, “Woah, woah, ease up there, partner…what’s the problem? Maybe I can help?”
Billy looked up, opening his mouth and closing it a few times as he was about to speak, then changed his mind, and then started again. Finally, he whispered, “I don’t have a present for her.”
The redhead smiled, “Oh, is that all? Hey, Billy, it’s really no big deal. I know Stephanie, and she’ll be plenty happy to see you, she doesn’t care about things. Trust me, she won’t mind one little bit!”
“It’s…different for me, though…” the child confessed haltingly.
“Oh?” Guy slowly dropped to one knee, so he could talk to Billy and not down at him. “How come, buddy?”
Billy looked back through the gate, then left and right up and down the street, before he dared answer. “If I tell you something, you promise not to tell?”
“As long as it isn’t a secret that might hurt someone, then yeah, you can tell me anythin’ Billy,” Guy assured him, his concern growing a little.
“I really like her,” he whispered.
“Ohhh…” he managed to not crack the hint of a smile. This was serious to Billy, and should be treated likewise. “You mean, as in, like like her?”
Billy nodded, wide-eyed.
“Well, yeah, I can see why that would make a difference…” He glanced down at the parcel under his arm. “As it happens, I think we can help each other out, Billy. See, I already got Steph a present from Europe, a snowglobe, and she told me it should count as her birthday present too. But y’know, I couldn’t resist gettin’ her somethin’ else. Now, I’m afraid she’ll get mad because I got her two things, y’see?”
The boy wasn’t sure he did see.
Guy continued, “You could give her this second present from me, and say it’s from you. Then I won’t get in trouble for givin’ her two gifts, and you’ll feel better because she’ll get a nice gift from you. Whaddya say, help a fellow Leaguer out, buddy? Please?”
The child thought about it. Guy could see him briefly wrestle with the moral implications of taking credit for something he didn’t buy. The Green Lantern smiled to himself; this kid was like a mini-Superman, a boy scout through and through. It was undeniably cuter on a ten-year-old, but still charming on Blue. It was time for the last-ditch hard-sell, “You’d be doin’ me a favour. I can’t return the present, anyway, I ordered it online, it’d be a hassle. I can’t even stay for the party, so, might as well, right?”
“What present did you get her?” Billy asked at last, and Guy whispered the answer to him. The boy’s eyes lit up, “Holy moley, that’s a perfect present for Stephanie!”
“So you’ll do this for me?” Guy asked, nodding with a smile.
“Yes Sir!” Billy agreed, almost jumping from his enthusiasm, “And thank you!”
“Well, thank you Billy,” Guy gave the boy a manly handshake and rose to his feet, then removed the tag on the present that said it was from him and handed it over. “Careful not to drop it now, don’t want to dent it,” he grinned.
He leaned over and pushed the call button on the gatepost. “Hi Alfred,” he replied when the butler asked who was calling, “Guy Gardner and Billy Batson, for Steph’s party.” The gate swung open, and Billy waved as he couldn’t contain himself and ran on ahead, the aubergine-wrapped gift with the green bow tucked tightly into his chest in his little arms.
Guy smiled quietly to himself as he shoved his hands in his pockets and strolled up the driveway at a leisurely pace, feeling good about life for awhile, appreciating the gift.